Judgement day for the winter ice
challenge had arrived, and they were
excited to learn if their favorites had won. Glenna had chosen the Dragon War,and David had picked the Angels in
Flight. The winner would buy dinner at Anchorage's best restaurant, The
Crow's Nest.

David told her the freshly fallen
snow was the lure, but she knew that a proposal was his goal. Glenna was ready
for the commitment. After all, they'd been together for over a year, and two
people more suited didn't exist. They had similar goals, enjoyed all things
outdoor, and they both agreed that love and family were the keys to success.

She'd met the handsome pilot on a
flight she'd taken during a school training project. His knowledge and skill
made the trip a success, and their first
date left no doubt they had a future together. He'd cooked dinner for her over
a campfire in the back yard of the cabin he'd built with his own hands. Fresh
salmon, corn on the cob, new potatoes, and homemade blueberry ice cream. The
way to a man's heart may be through his stomach, but for Glenna, his down-home
cooking, adventure filled stories, and sense of humor had won her heart.

"Think twice, Sissy!"
David shouted and threw the first snowball; just a handful of snow, but it caught Glenna by surprise.

"You're in trouble now,"
she yelled, but quickly gathered two handfuls and formed a perfect ball. She
threw it, laughing and ducking at the same time. Their snowball fight lasted
just minutes, but his concussion and subsequent coma would mar their
future.

*****

Sissy, or Glenna Parks, as her
friends knew her, rinsed her face with cold water, and stared at her
reflection. Haggard looking after another sleepless night, she wondered how
life could take such a sharp, sudden
turn.

She'd just won the job of a
lifetime and would be teaching history at the University of Alaska in
Anchorage. David Carter, her beau, was
about to pop the question, his recent inquiry
the clue.

"How do you feel about
antique jewelry?" he'd asked.

"I love all things with a
history," she'd told him.

Life couldn't have been sweeter.
She recalled his last kiss, confident
that he was going down on one knee then. Instead, he gathered up a handful of
snow and changed their lives forever.

Now he couldn't even recall her
name. At first, he didn't know his own name, even denied being a pilot, claimed
to be afraid of heights, and a Texan living in Alaska, not reality. The man who
awoke from the coma was not the man who had slipped on the ice.

Dripping water reminded her of
the blood she'd tried to staunch with their woolen scarves but to no avail. The
paramedics hurried him away, and she
followed. Glenna willed him back to consciousness, but she wasn't prepared for
the hateful stranger who greeted her.

Now, a week later, a few memories
had returned giving her hope that the rest would soon follow. Glenna wasn't
sleeping, barely eating, and David's lack of recognition hurt on a level she
didn't even know existed. Yesterday, he'd asked her to leave him alone.

"I don't need a stranger watching
or commenting on my every move. Especially one with sad puppy dog eyes."

Hiding her tears, she left. Today
she'd returned with an entire picture album of their adventures together, something
to spark David's memory. She promised
herself she would just drop it off, but when she arrived, he was asleep. She
waited, watched, prayed, and eventually fell into a deep sleep herself.

Still holding his hand, she dreamed
of the David she knew. The warmth and strength of him were as she remembered, but reality
was waking in a sterile hospital room
with spittle dripping from her open mouth. She rushed into the bathroom to
revive herself. Gazing into the mirror, she vowed to recapture their happiness.

"Hey, beautiful. I was hoping you'd return for a visit," David said.
The tone, the comment, hey beautiful,
was pure David. Ready to answer, she dried her face, but someone else beat her to it.

"Hi, handsome. You look better.
How are you feeling?"

Giggling.

"Oh my, you are feeling
better!" The voice of the doctor who'd admitted him sounded too friendly, syrupy,
and seductive.

"Except for an almost
constant headache, pretty darn good, especially now that you're here!"
David cooed.

Glenna listened. Their
conversation wasn't the typicaldiscussion between doctor and patient. They
were flirting.

"Why don't you spring me
from this place? I'll buy dinner?' David asked.

"Glenna? No. No way, she's
not my type. Believe me. We're just friends. I actually had to ask her to leave.
I honestly hope she never comes back. That whiny voice of hers grates on the
ears. Besides, what adult woman would ever accept Sissy as a nickname?"

"You sure you remember everything. What about the ring we
found in your pocket?"

"Yeah, I know. The
engagement ring was my mother’s. Dad sent it to me along with a few other
mementos. That ring has nothing to do with Sissy."

The way he said her nickname hurt
deep in her soul. It was meant to be something only they shared. Sissy was an
endearment her grandfather used when she was younger,
and David claimed for his own. No one else could call her Sissy.

Glenna managed to leave the room without notice.
The silhouette of their embrace on the curtain, then the sound of kissing
assaulted her as she crept away. She dropped the picture album in the
wastebasket and left the hospital just moments after a blizzard hit, but she
didn't feel the Arctic chill, or the warm tears streaming from her eyes.

Nor did she see the car that
careened out of control due to the ice and snow. The handsome man who stepped
out of the wrecked car to see if she was safe had her heart beating with hope.
A fact Glenna wouldn't recognize until after their first date, but a blessing she
would still be thanking the Universe for on their 50th wedding
anniversary!

Monday, December 19, 2016

Judgement day for the winter ice challenge had arrived, and they were excited to learn if their favorites had won. Glenna had chosen the Dragon War, and David had picked the Angels in Flight. The winner would buy dinner at Anchorage's best restaurant, The Crow's Nest.

David told her the freshly fallen snow was the lure, but she knew that a proposal was his goal. Glenna was ready for the commitment. After all, they'd been together for over a year, and two people more suited didn't exist. They had similar goals, enjoyed all things outdoor, and they both agreed that love and family were the keys to success.

She'd met the handsome pilot on a flight she'd taken during a school training project. His knowledge and skill made the trip a success, and their first date left no doubt they had a future together. He'd cooked dinner for her over a campfire in the back yard of the cabin he'd built with his own hands. Fresh salmon, corn on the cob, new potatoes, and homemade blueberry ice cream. The way to a man's heart may be through his stomach, but for Glenna, his down-home cooking, adventure filled stories, and sense of humor had won her heart.

"Think twice, Sissy!" David shouted and threw the first snowball; just a handful of snow, but it caught Glenna by surprise.

"You're in trouble now," she yelled, but quickly gathered two handfuls and formed a perfect ball. She threw it, laughing and ducking at the same time. Their snowball fight lasted just minutes, but his concussion and subsequent coma would mar their future.

*****

Sissy, or Glenna Parks, as her friends knew her, rinsed her face with cold water, and stared at her reflection. Haggard looking after another sleepless night, she wondered how life could take such a sharp, sudden turn.

She'd just won the job of a lifetime and would be teaching history at the University of Alaska in Anchorage. David Carter, her beau, was about to pop the question, his recent inquiry the clue.

"How do you feel about antique jewelry?" he'd asked.

"I love all things with a history," she'd told him.

Life couldn't have been sweeter. She recalled his last kiss, confident that he was going down on one knee then. Instead, he gathered up a handful of snow and changed their lives forever.

Now he couldn't even recall her name. At first, he didn't know his own name, even denied being a pilot, claimed to be afraid of heights, and a Texan living in Alaska, not reality. The man who awoke from the coma was not the man who had slipped on the ice.

Dripping water reminded her of the blood she'd tried to staunch with their woolen scarves but to no avail. The paramedics hurried him away, and she followed. Glenna willed him back to consciousness, but she wasn't prepared for the hateful stranger who greeted her.

Now, a week later, a few memories had returned giving her hope that the rest would soon follow. Glenna wasn't sleeping, barely eating, and David's lack of recognition hurt on a level she didn't even know existed. Yesterday, he'd asked her to leave him alone.

"I don't need a stranger watching or commenting on my every move. Especially one with sad puppy dog eyes."

Hiding her tears, she left. Today she'd returned with an entire picture album of their adventures together, something to spark David's memory. She promised herself she would just drop it off, but when she arrived, he was asleep. She waited, watched, prayed, and eventually fell into a deep sleep herself.

Still holding his hand, she dreamed of the David she knew. The warmth and strength of him were as she remembered, but reality was waking in a sterile hospital room with spittle dripping from her open mouth. She rushed into the bathroom to revive herself. Gazing into the mirror, she vowed to recapture their happiness.

"Hey, beautiful. I was hoping you'd return for a visit," David said. The tone, the comment, hey beautiful, was pure David. Ready to answer, she dried her face, but someone else beat her to it.

"Hi, handsome. You look better. How are you feeling?"

Giggling.

"Oh my, you are feeling better!" The voice of the doctor who'd admitted him sounded too friendly, syrupy, and seductive.

"Except for an almost constant headache, pretty darn good, especially now that you're here!" David cooed.

Glenna listened. Their conversation wasn't the typical discussion between doctor and patient. They were flirting.

"Why don't you spring me from this place? I'll buy dinner?' David asked.

"Glenna? No. No way, she's not my type. Believe me. We're just friends. I actually had to ask her to leave. I honestly hope she never comes back. That whiny voice of hers grates on the ears. Besides, what adult woman would ever accept Sissy as a nickname?"

"You sure you remember everything. What about the ring we found in your pocket?"

"Yeah, I know. The engagement ring was my mother’s. Dad sent it to me along with a few other mementos. That ring has nothing to do with Sissy."

The way he said her nickname hurt deep in her soul. It was meant to be something only they shared. Sissy was an endearment her grandfather used when she was younger, and David claimed for his own. No one else could call her Sissy.

Glenna managed to leave the room without notice. The silhouette of their embrace on the curtain, then the sound of kissing assaulted her as she crept away. She dropped the picture album in the wastebasket and left the hospital just moments after a blizzard hit, but she didn't feel the Arctic chill, or the warm tears streaming from her eyes.

Nor did Glenna see the car that careened out of control due to the ice and snow.

Friday, December 16, 2016

One final task, and the transformation is complete. Steady fingers screw intricately carved horns on each side of a stiff brow, and a gargoyle suitable for Notre Dame scowls from the smoky mirror in satisfaction. A jagged smile rips through his smooth, hairless face, and inked, reptilian scales caress his naked body. A laugh of hideous resonance emanates from his gut as the demons of hell welcome Lucifer into their fold.

In a dungeon-like chamber, his Lilith awaits. The kidnapped daughter of a nun, groomed to fit the final piece in the complex puzzle for world domination. Will Lucifer marry his bride, on the summer solstice?

Only two things stand in his way: his greed and Detective Steven Quaid.

As the sale ends soon, I thought it appropriate to share just how this story came about.

I’d had this idea for a spy novel for a while. I was always disappointed in the lack of female spies and the way the existing ones were portrayed. While they might be able to kick-ass occasionally, most ended up captured and needed to be rescued. Without a doubt, there was room for a strong-willed heroine who possessed the attitude and skills and absolutely no trace of the usual ‘damsel in distress’ element that plagues too many strong female characters.

Having read almost all the original James Bond novels by Ian Fleming, I wanted to create a female character who would be more than a match for a man like Bond. And then I started to wonder what Bond’s daughter would be like had he actually succeeded in impregnating any one of the women he’d encountered over the years. In one of Fleming’s short stories, there was a female character who was out to take revenge on the people that killed her parents. She was fiery and passionate. She ended up as a Bond girl in the movie ‘For Your Eyes Only’ and her name was Melina Havelock (Judy in the original story).

I contacted the Ian Fleming Foundation in the UK, who own the rights to all the Bond novels, including the new ones, to ask if I could reference James Bond in any way in what I originally wanted to be a spinoff novel. They were extremely helpful but couldn’t grant the permissions I needed. The story had to be original. Which I took as a challenge to write a James Bond spin off without any reference to Bond himself, M, Q, 007, a license to kill, etc. The result was HAVELOCK.

Is Eliana Havelock the daughter of James Bond? Does she have her own ulterior motives? Is she as lethal as she is beautiful? One thing’s for certain . . . Eliana Havelock doesn’t need a license to kill.

Ever had one of those days? The kind of days that challenge every skill, threaten every ethical standard, and undo every single concept of what you would ordinarily have considered an impossible situation? Despite near-perfect planning, I’m having one of those days right now.

It all started when I decided to find my father. I’ve never met him. His longtime vocation makes him a hard person to find at the best of times, but I recently discovered he was reported missing three years ago. He hasn’t surfaced since, and maybe it’s the paternal side of me, maybe it’s because my mother passed away and I’m seeking a parental figure, maybe I want to know why he never came back for me, but well… I gotta find out what happened.

And that’s why I, Eliana Havelock, now find myself tied to a chair in a dank basement somewhere near Karachi, Pakistan.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m about to be tortured.

Andrew Buckley - The Story So Far . . .

Andrew Buckley attended the Vancouver Film School’s Writing for Film and Television program. After pitching and developing several screenplay projects for film and television, he worked in marketing and public relations, before becoming a professional copy and content writer. During this time Andrew began writing his first adult novel, DEATH, THE DEVIL AND THE GOLDFISH, followed closely by his second novel, STILTSKIN both published by Curiosity Quills Press.

​Andrew also co-hosts a geek movie podcast, is working on several new novels, and has a stunning amount of other ideas. He now lives happily in the Okanagan Valley, BC with one beautiful wife, three kids, one cat, one needy dog, and a multitude of characters that live comfortably inside of his mind.

Wednesday, November 23, 2016

Hi, everyone. I'm at a bit of
a standstill when it comes to the NANO challenge, due to other issues popping
up, but I'm not giving up. I hope during this
last week I'll make good progress, although making 50,000 may not be
possible, the story is coming together.

I hope you'll check out
Patrick Hatt's guest post over at the WEP blog. He's giving advice on writing.
It's great stuff!

Christine is one of my favorite authors. This
time she took me back to Alaska with her Polar Bear shifters.

Ametta Dorn is a sexy, headstrong designer with big plans, and Lucky Osberg is a handsome firefighter with a desire to alter those plans, but a killer is on the loose and family is the target.It's an exciting journey through the wilds of Alaska with Ametta and Lucky and a host of shifters. Christine weaves her tale of the paranormal and romantic suspense with mystical native lore that only adds to the adventure. A page-turning mystery that does not disappoint.

Shifters across Alaska are going missing. When up and coming interior designer
Ametta Dorn rescues the gorgeous Kodiak shifter Lucky Osberg, she comes into
the crosshairs of two relentless hunters. While Lucky sets his sights on wooing
her, the killers seek to not only capture her in her powerful polar bear form
but to also take her skin.

To prevent her murder and the deaths of other shifters, she must work with
Lucky to track down and stop these merciless hunters. After all, their enemy’s
plan for shifter skins is something much more terrifying than collecting mere
trophies.

An ancient totem pole has gone missing, and its pieces are scattered across Alaska. Restoring the seven totem tokens may be the only way to save every shifter in the world.

Kinley Dorn, a geeky architect with a heart of gold and a polar bear shifter, jumps at the opportunity to help her family find the lost pieces. Their idea of “helping” involves staying indoors to research online. Work leads Kinley to sexy lynx shifter Ransom Averill. He coaxes her away from the safety behind her computer and into the path of a rampaging giant. Terrifying as the monster might be, she must brave its mountain because the owl totem is calling to her through silent whispers.

The same murderous shifters who had hunted her sister have attempted to steal a magical totem pole. Since the pieces are scattered across Alaska, Saskia, a polar bear shifter, takes her search to the tundra for any signs of the lost totems.

Instead she finds Sedge, the latest reincarnation of the old Inuit Bear god, who just happens to be the man who broke her heart.

They come across a small native village tormented by the Jinxioc, evil gnomes with an appetite for human flesh. Sedge declares he will rid the people of the menace, believing a totem token is nearby affecting the devils’ behavior. At his side, Saskia battles to save the tribesmen, but it could mean sacrificing herself.

Have you finished NANO, are you almost there?

Is turkey on your menu this week, and did you heed Pat's writing advice?